Our Sophomore and Junior Years of High School
by PheonixFireBlack
Summary: (Can't Hardly Wait.) Kind d of a "What happened to make their friendship go wonky" fic. KennyDenise May feature Preston or Amanda. Click, read, review. Its fun! Pretty much, AU F word 2x


Title - Our Sophomore and Junior Years of High School By - PheonixFireBlack Summry - CHW (that's...Can't Hardly Wait.) fan fic. Kind of a "What happened to make their friendship go wonky" (as Willow from BTVS might say) fic. Kenny/Denise May feature Preston or other charackters. click, read, review. Its simple and fun! Pretty much, AU Feedback - I'd LOVE to know what you guys think. IM - YES! FUN! Check the profile! Rating - PG-13 F-word said once.  
  
Disclaimer - I do NOT own Can't Hardly Wait or any characters held within...except MAYBE a character or two that may have a one-liner in the fic...but they are probably some cliche-type so it won't matter too much anyway.  
  
A/N - So...I think this is like...the first CHW (that's...Can't Hardly Wait if you didn't get that in the summary) fic on ff.net. It's...AU I would guess...seeing as how this really doesn't have too much to do with the actual movie(except bits of the bold and underlined stuff lol) It's Denise & Kenny's Sophomore and Junior years of High School and...they definitely have issues. lol. Anyway, I really hope you guys like it. ^_^ The stuff in bold and underline...think of it like a commentary of sorts, kay? Ok, I don't have anything much else to say...lol Read on!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
So you know the story of our Senior year, or at least  
how the graduation party, went.  
Denise  
  
Now, you get to see what it was like  
before we were Seniors.  
Kenny  
  
Now, you get to see what happened in our  
Sophomore and Junior years.  
Kenny & Denise  
  
You get to see all the horror that was our  
tenth and eleventh grade of education.  
Denise  
  
The good,  
Kenny  
  
The bad,  
Denise  
  
And the ugly.  
Kenny & Denise  
  
The breakups,  
Denise  
  
The make ups,  
Kenny  
  
And everything in between.  
Denise & Kenny  
  
This is how our Sophomore and Junior  
years of high school played out.  
Kenny & Denise.  
  
This is how everything went wrong until the graduation party.  
Kenny  
  
This is how he was a moron and broke and  
chopped our friendship into  
about five million pieces.  
Denise.  
  
This...is our Sophomore year of  
High School at Hillington High.  
Kenny & Denise.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It was a fairly boring day, but any day that involved school was a typically boring day for Kenny Fisher. However, he would always have his best friend, Denise Fleming to get him through the day...week...month...ok, he would always have his best friend to pull him through the entire year that didn't involve a break of some kind. And he would always be there to pull her out of Summer boredom. However, today was not a day that Kenny would pull Denise through anything, and he wasn't so sure at the moment that she could pull him up from the quicksand he had landed himself in today. He didn't think anyone or anything could do that. No, not today. Kenny had a Algebra test today and he had completely forgotten to study the night before. "Denise...this day...is bad."  
  
"Why?" She asked cautiously, "What did you do now?" The strawberry blonde headed girl asked her best friend.  
  
"You know that Algebra test we have today?" Kenny seemed a little nervous about whatever it was he was about to tell his best friend.  
  
"You didn't study, did you?" Denise immediately knew what was up. He never got nervous unless it was about not studying or something similar. He was so predictable sometimes. Then again, you tend to be able to predict things out of a person after you've known them since you were both about six or seven--that's at least nine years, if not ten.  
  
"No..." Kenny's answer was thoroughly guilt-ridden as he avoided her gaze, looking everywhere and at everything but her; He seemed to find the ground the most interesting place to let his eyes rest.  
  
"Kenny!" Denise exclaimed, shoving the heavy door open and entering the school. "You told me you were going to study!"  
  
"I know, but...I got...distracted." Kenny still avoided her gaze.  
  
"With what?"  
  
"Would you believe me if I told you if was my mom's fault?" He asked in an almost defenseless manner, finally looking up at her, a very doubtful, apprehensive look on his face.  
  
"No." Denise answered flatly. "What did you do that was so much more important than studying for the test?"  
  
"I..." Kenny stopped, closing his eyes. He knew Denise would rail him for it.  
  
"Kenny..." Denise knew that when she used her warning tone, Kenny would break, he always broke when she used that tone.  
  
"Denise..." He practically whined, cracking from her tone, "I was on the computer and...then I...went out on my skateboard for awhile..."  
  
"Kenny!" She stopped, as did her friend, a hand a hand on her hip. "You know you should have studied. Algebra is your worst subject."  
  
"I know, I just--"  
  
"You're failing the class, Kenny." She lowered her voice.  
  
"I know, but--"  
  
"I'm not trying to be your mother here, but...Kenny, really, you need to try and pick the grade up...and soon too because we're getting really close to mid-term. That means mid-term tests, do you realize how much percent of your grade they are?"  
  
He shook his head, "No..."  
  
"For Mr. Peirce's class...it costs nearly fifty percent of your grade!"  
  
"Man...I'm going to fail that test today..." He sighed, "And I'm going to be grounded for about three months."  
  
"Why are you going to be grounded?"  
  
"Dad said, next test I fail, I'm grounded...at least a month." He had his eyes closed as he shook his head and sighed. "Why does life have to suck so much?" He asked, banging on his stubborn locker to open it. In his slight anger, he hit the metal storage place a bit too hard. "Ow...dammit!"  
  
Denise rolled her eyes. That was Kenny. He was one to get to caught up in his anger and forget what he was doing--Then he would hurt himself somehow. A small smile spread over her face. She had been friends with Kenny for so long. He was the only friend she had ever kept for as long as she had been friends with him. Nearly ten years. It was great, how close they were. However, no matter how much closer they had gotten with each other over the years, a small part of Denise had always wanted it to be a little more. She had thought that last year was bad, but this year...it had been so much worse. She thought it would go away over their Winter break, but it didn't, it actually got worse, the feeling grew stronger. Lately she had been trying to find the opportune moment to bring something about them as a couple up. That moment had yet to come. She was starting to think that it never would.  
  
"You know what just makes this all worse?" Kenny asked, snapping Denise from her thoughts.  
  
"What?" She asked, slamming her locker closed.  
  
"Algebra is my first class. I can't even study for the damn test during lunch." Kenny let out a half-frustrated, half-worried sound. This was really, really bad. "Denise...please...just...a little bit?" He put his hands together and made it look as if he were begging her. "Just the multiple choice answers...please?" He had an extremely hopeful look in his eyes.  
  
Denise had half a mind to let her defenses down and give in to that look in his eyes, but she didn't. "No. You're not cheating...or at least not off my paper."  
  
"De-ni-se!" He protested, holding her name out.  
  
"No..." She said, laughing slightly. "We're in different classes anyway!"  
  
"This is sooo not funny!" Kenny said as the pair walked away from each other, going to their separate classes.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
At lunch, Denise couldn't seem to find Kenny anywhere. She wanted to ask him if he had gotten his Algebra test back, she wanted to know how he did on it. However, if she couldn't find him, it was kind of impossible to ask him about it. She shrugged it off and went to sit at their usual table. That's where she found him...sulking over something, probably the Algebra test. She sat down, "Hey...what's up?"  
  
He let out a sigh that was a little over dramatic, "Nothing..."  
  
"How bad did you do?" Denise asked, almost in a sing-song voice, knowing he was upset over the test.  
  
"I am grounded...for life..." He sighed and showed her the test. Denise half expected that he was joking and there would be a C or a C+ on the paper. She soon found out that he wasn't joking, it really was as bad as he was making it out to be. In thick, red ink, there was a big fat F with a circle around it near the center of the page. In small, blue ink next to it, Mr. Pierce had written something else. "Try studying next time, Mr. Fischer. It helps." She flipped through the three page test and closed her eyes and cringed. He had only gotten two out of the entire test right, and there were fifty questions; Ultimately, Kenny had made about a 46 on the test. She knew how strict his dad was and knew this earned a really nice and long, no extremely long grounding time. She smiled sympathetically. "Sorry, Kenny...I...don't know what to tell you."  
  
"How about...I'm dead...sixteen million times over." Kenny then proceeded to bang his head on the table.  
  
"Kenny..." Denise said, "Kenny..." She rolled her eyes, "Kenny! Honestly! Do you want brain damage?"  
  
"I've already got it, why does it matter?" He asked, pausing to look at her, only to start to bang his head on the table again.  
  
"Kenny. Stop it. Its annoying."  
  
Kenny stopped, looking at her. Most would assume Kenny whipped, but he wasn't, really, he wasn't! Just because he couldn't stand his best friend's warning tone that always cracked any defenses he may put up or do as she commanded, it so did not mean he was whipped. Ok...so maybe he was whipped...but only a little. "Denise...I'm dead...no...I'm grounded till I'm dead."  
  
"Look, I know how harsh and strict your dad can be...but Kenny, till you're dead?"  
  
"Ever heard of an exaggeration?"  
  
"Yes, however, my dear friend, that was an over exaggeration."  
  
"Can I come over after school?"  
  
"Are you confronting your dad first?"  
  
Kenny's face and eyes immediately took hold of a begging, pleading look. "Please don't make me..." He practically whimpered the sentence.  
  
Denise couldn't help but let the single giggle escape her lips. He just looked so darn cute like that. No, not cute...cute is the kind of word you use to tell a girl friend how her outfit looked, no matter how horrendous it may actually be. Cute was not a word you used to describe your best friend, who is a guy, was when he had a certain look on his face. Cute, it was...a word you used for the guy you had a crush on, and...Oh my God. No! Yes, he's my best friend but...crush? No...that's just...no! Denise thought as she said, "Yeah, alright. But you better tell your dad tonight. And tell me later...if you can still talk." She smirked.  
  
"That's not funny, Denise! I seriously think he might kill over this. And my dad...he could make it all look like an accident."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The day had finally ended, though it seemed to take way too long, or at least in Kenny's opinion. Then again, maybe it had ended too soon. The quicker the hours of this day went by meant the quicker he'd have to confront his father about that stupid F on his Algebra test. Man, life really has a screwed up sense of humor! Kenny's locker was being even more stubborn than usual. Usually, three bangs near the center, and it popped open, but no...it had to be stubborn. Now, Kenny was getting ticked off. "Dammit! You stupid piece of shit! Open up!" He banged on the locker door four more times, with no avail. He let out a frustrated sigh. This was annoying.  
  
"Having locker issues?" Came a voice that Kenny knew all too well. He wished he could just get the nerve up to tell her. But he couldn't. He hadn't exactly tried, but when he thought about it, all he could see was Denise...looking repulsed, or rejecting him. When those images filled his head, it crushed him and kind of made him try and repress what he felt; thank God those images usually only happened when he slept. All of the sudden, one of those images flew threw his mind.  
  
Kenny turned around to see Denise walking towards him. He smiled. "Hey, Denise."  
  
"Hey, Kenny. You ready to go to my house?"  
  
"Yeah...except for one thing..." He paused, biting his lower lip.  
  
Denise didn't know why, but she could tell that Kenny was nervous about something. But what was it? She mentally shrugged it off, "And what is that?"  
  
"Denise, I..." He paused, "I was wondering if maybe...you might wanna go out sometime..."  
  
Denise rolled her eyes, "Kenny...we go out all the time, are you getting at a point here or can we go?"  
  
"I mean..like...a date..."  
  
At first, Denise looked confused, shocked. Is this some kind of joke? She thought. Because if it is, this is very, very wrong. "Kenny...tell me this is a joke." When Kenny shook his head, Denise immediately had a look of utter horror on her face. "Oh my God...you're serious? This is just...too weird." She paused, "Kenny...I-I don't think we can be friends anymore." And with that, she walked away.  
  
Kenny rolled his eyes. Ok...so that was a little over the top and probably would never happen but...still...it would be rejection of some kind. I just know it would be. None of the girls I've liked have ever liked me back, or at least not like I liked them. Why would it be any different with my best friend. Kenny sighed mentally.  
  
"Hello? Kenny...Earth to Kenny. Houston, I think we have a problem, Kenny Fisher seems to have blacked out...or...something. Kenny!"  
  
Kenny snapped out of his thoughts, "What?"  
  
"I asked you if you were ready to go to my house...then...you said something about one more thing...what was it?"  
  
"Auh..." The statement caught him off guard. Had he really said that stuff out loud? Sweet Lord, please let me not have said the rest out loud...please... Kenny thought. "Yeah, my locker is being a pain in the a-- " Denise banged on it twice and it popped open. "Well...I guess it was just temporary." He put his History book up and took his Algebra test out of the locker. He sighed. He didn't even want to imagine what kind of uproar was going to go on when he got home and his dad saw his test. Kenny slammed the locker door shut, "C'mon on, let's go."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Denise and Kenny had almost immediately gone up to Denise's room when they got to her house. For about three hours they had rambled on and talked about nothing in particular. An odd silence came over the room. Kenny knew what he wanted to say but...he couldn't do it. He really didn't want to freak her out and lose his best friend of nearly ten years. Denise knew what she wanted to say but wasn't sure if she should. It wasn't like it would be saying she liked him, just...kind of hinting at it, right? She rolled her eyes, "Kenny..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"As...a hypothetical...thing: What would you think of us...ya know...as...as a couple." She couldn't believe she had actually just said that. Had she just said that? From the off-guarded look on Kenny's face, she obviously had. "I-It's completely hypothetical, mind you."  
  
"Y-Yeah...I know. Uh.." He shrugged. "I don't know...it might be interesting, I guess..." He paused, then said something in the awkward silence that had enveloped the two. "What do you think of us as a couple?" He asked, then quickly added, "Hypothetically, of course." He had to make sure she understood that this was still a hypothetical situation--er-- question.  
  
"I...I dunno...I've...never really thought about it, actually." She lied. "The question just kind of came to my head, ya know?"  
  
Kenny nodded and an extremely uncomfortable and in some ways, embarrassing, and extremely tense silence took over the room. Kenny glanced at Denise, then looked away. Denise did the same. Kenny looked at the clock and sighed. "God...I don't want to..."  
  
"What?" Denise asked, kind of glad that there was some kind of something to say.  
  
"I need to get home. I may as well get the yelling over with now."  
  
"Oh...well...good luck." Denise said, following him downstairs. "Call me later if you can." Kenny nodded and started the very short distanced walk to his house.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Well, that wasn't exactly something  
I'd want to read.  
Kenny  
  
Oh shut up, it was background.  
Denise  
  
I know that, but it still wouldn't be  
something I'd want to read  
Kenny  
  
Anyway, not much happened through the weeks, it  
was the same old routine as always.  
Denise  
  
And, surprisingly enough, I didn't get killed by my father.  
Now, this is obviously a good thing, people  
Kenny  
  
Right. Back to the next couple of weeks after that  
Denise  
  
Oh...I don't like this part, can we skip it?  
Kenny  
  
No. We have to do this part too, Kenny Remember?  
The good, the bad, and the ugly.  
Denise  
  
Well...this is most definately the ugly.  
Kenny  
  
I couldn't agree more or have said it better myself.  
Denise  
  
Alright then, don't try.  
Kenny  
  
This...is one of those "breakups" we had  
mentioned earlier  
Denise  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Several weeks had gone by and it was nearing Summer break and the end of Kenny and Denise's Sophomore year of high school. True, it was still only March and they didn't let out until the end of May, but still...Summer was closer than it had been two months ago. Today would be one day that Denise would put in the back of her memory so as to never think about it again. Today was the day that Kenny went to the other side.  
  
The bad part of the day didn't start until lunch. Denise couldn't find Kenny anywhere at all. He wasn't even as their table already. She knew he was in school, they had talked between every class for as long as they could. Denise had something she really wanted to talk to him about but she couldn't find him. It was odd but it was ok--until she found him. As she sat there, alone, at she and Kenny's table, she looked around the room, waiting for Kenny to come in. She soon learned, however, that he was in the cafeteria already. This is, of course, not what shocked her, but rather who he was sitting with. Oh my God. No. This isn't happening. We're best friends. We made a pact in seventh grade. We would neither one care about what people thought of us, as long as it wasn't that we were dating. We would never sit with 'the cool people' because in actuality, it was they who were the real losers. He broke his promise. After a few moments of silence in her mind, Maybe he's just talking to them. We never said we wouldn't talk to them...but...it's just...weird. She sighed and decided to finish her lunch and try not to think about it. She'd talk to him later. That's when she saw them all leaving, including Kenny, who was in the lead. She forgot all about lunch, leaving it on the table, and followed a good distance behind them. It wasn't until they reached the point of stopping outside that any of them noticed that Denise was following them.  
  
"Does the little weirdo want to be one of us?" Dexter, the most popular guy in school, said. The group laughed, except for Kenny, but this went unnoticed by everyone except Denise.  
  
"Kenny...what are you doing?"  
  
"Do you know this chick?" Dexter asked.  
  
"Yeah, do you know this loser, Kenny?" Heather, one of the girls with long, shiny blonde hair asked, looking at him.  
  
Kenny couldn't believe that he was about to do and say what he was about to, but he couldn't help it. He didn't know why, couldn't figure it out, but lately...he had the want--the need you could even say--to be popular. Therefore, today, he put on a fake, gangsta persona to see if the "popular people" would like it. They did. Kenny closed his eyes slowly before looking at his red headed friend and saying: "Yo, you talkin' ta me, bitch? Cause...I don't see any other Kenny's around and...uh...I don't know you. You gots the wrong dude, babe. Though, I have to say...if you wouldn't mind givin' Kenny sum luvin'...he wouldn't mind gettin' ta know yas a bit betta." He said, looking her over. The entire group laughed at his remark.  
  
Denise's eyes flahsed before the tears welled up in her eyes. She stared at Kenny, her best bud of ten years, unblinkingly for fear that the losers that he decided were cooler than she was would see her cry. "You broke your promise, Kenny." She said, then she turned on her heel and immediately ran off, the tears already streaming down her face. She couldn't believe what he had just said. He had ditched her, whom he had known and been best friends with for ten years to hang out with people he had only talked to maybe a total of twenty minutes in a single day. She ran back in the cafeteria, where people watched her, one girl stopped her for a moment, asking what was wrong. Denise was tempted to yell out "Oh, nothing too much, my best friend of ten years just ditched me for people he's talked to about a total of twenty minutes, but other than that, life's great. How are you?", but she didn't, instead she ran out into the hallway. She only got as far as the nearest wall, leaning against it, before she collapsed into a heap. She sat there, leaning against the wall in the corner, covered by the lockers so she couldn't been seen, knees drawn up, arms resting on them, head down, crying her heart out. She had trusted him, loved him so much, and he threw all of that away from a twenty minute conversation he had with the "cool" people. That was one of the worst things he could have ever even thought about doing, nevermind actually doing it. It felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest, ripped into pieces, put back together, stomped on, and thrown in a blender.  
  
She didn't know, but someone from the lunch room had come out after her. He slowly made his way around the lockers to the corner that Denise was in. She only barely noticed his shadow. Denise looked up to see the blonde haired boy. "Wh-What do you want?" She managed shakily.  
  
He bent down on his haunches, "What's wrong? What happened?"  
  
"Nothing that concerns you." She said, trying to wipe the tears away, but more simply rolled down in their place on her already tear-stained cheeks.  
  
"My name's Preston Meyers. You can trust me. I don't have any friends, I don't have anyone to tell anything. You can tell me what happened."  
  
"Can you...Can you try and answer me something, Preston?"  
  
Preston nodded, sitting down on the floor across from her. "Yeah...but can you answer something for me first?"  
  
She shrugged, "Maybe..."  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Oh...Denise...Denise Fleming."  
  
"Alright. Go on then, Denise. What was it that you wanted to ask?"  
  
"How can someone that you've been friends--no best friends with for ten years...how can they just ditch you...after all that time...just because he had a twenty minute conversation with the popular kids?"  
  
Preston shrugged and shook his head, "Honestly...I couldn't tell you. I don't know. I--wait. That's what happened, isn't it?"  
  
Denise nodded slowly and before she knew it, fresh tears were rolling down her cheeks again. "Why did he do it? Why? I don't understand...he never cared about being popular before...why, why now?"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
After school, just before she left, Kenny decided he would try and catch up with Denise. He had already put his books that needed to be away and took out the ones that needed to be taken home, but he acted like he had forgotten one so he could try and talk to her. He closed his locker door just as she did. "Denise."  
  
She acted like she didn't hear him.  
  
"Denise..."  
  
She still ignored him.  
  
"Denise...please..."  
  
She was tempted to say something. That...begging...it was one thing that almost always made her give in. That...stupid...cute...dumb...adorable begging voice. But no. Not this time. Should wouldn't give in. She wouldn't say anything. And she wouldn't acknowledge him.  
  
"Denise...please...wait. Let me explain."  
  
That was it. She couldn't do it any more. Denise turned around and looked at him. "What is there to explain, Kenny?" She shouted. "Nothing! I know what happened. You had a small conversation with the stupid, idiotic, moronic, fucking popular people and ditched me, who you've known for ten years. Ten years, Kenny! That's a freakin' decade! Do you realize this, Kenny? We've been best friends since we were six, way before we even knew what a best friend, or hell, a friend, was! Kenny...why?"  
  
"If you would just stop for a few minutes and let me explain--"  
  
"NO! You know what? I don't care any more. I don't care...if you go suicidal because we are not friends any more. There is nothing that you can do...or say...that will make this any better. That's it. We just aren't friends any more. Kenneth Fisher, you may as well act like you have never met me, because I certainly don't know you anymore. That's obviously what you wanted earlier at lunch!"  
  
And so one of Kenny's nightmares came true. He broke her trust and Denise denied their friendship. "No...Denise...please, please. Just...two minutes...two minutes...that's all. Two minutes, let me explain. Explanation done or not, after two minutes, you can tell me if we're still friends. Please, Denny...I'm begging you."  
  
Denise almost faltered at the nickname but she stood her ground firm. She looked him straight in the eyes. "No." She turned around and went on her way.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Well, that's how that went  
Kenny  
  
And from that day on, Kenny and I didn't know  
each other.  
Denise  
  
The rest of my Sophomore year went Denise free.  
And it was a sad, sad thing, though I don't  
think I really showed it. No, I couldn't.  
I coulnd't let my new "friends"  
know that I still liked  
my best friend.  
Couldn't let them know that I still cared about  
her, still thought about her, still...  
loved her just like  
I did before.  
Kenny  
  
Wow. Talk about sappy and romantic.  
Denise  
  
Oh, shut up! Anyway, I adapted to my  
new environment, as well as a  
new accent. A gangsta  
accent, if you will  
Kenny  
  
Anyway, the rest of the year went on without  
either of us speaking to each other, at all.  
We didn't do so in public, nor  
private. We just didn't talk.  
Over that same amount of time, Preston soon became  
my new Kenny. My  
new best friend. Preston was great, but it  
became a little annoying when he  
got obsessed about Amanda.  
And sweet Lord! That  
went on for four years!  
Denise  
  
Summer went through and we never spoke, and  
rarely even saw each other.  
Kenny  
  
I thought about him all the time. Preston knew it too. He  
told me he could tell when I was thinking about  
Kenny. He said I had some kind of far  
off look, like i was off in space.  
It isn't like I could help it. We had known each other for  
ten freakin' years. What is one to do when she  
loses her best friend, or at least  
who she had thought  
was her best friend.  
Denise  
  
There was hardly a moment I wasn't thinking about Denise in some  
way. Weather it was "What we could/would be doing  
right now." or just thinking about the past I had  
with her. Then...those sad, horrible dreams  
about her rejecting me came back. In a way, I had thought that I had  
somehow, kind of predicted the future. Sure, it was different  
than what I had ever imagined, but still, she rejected  
me and I felt as crushed in real life as I had  
in my dreams in the semester before  
Kenny  
The summer went straight through with not contact and then fall  
  
came. We would have to see each other at some point.  
We did still go to the same school.  
It was almost as if it were some kind of cruel, evil torture.  
Until that one day...  
Denise  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It was the third day back in school and Denise thought that she could go the entire day without thinking about Kenny. How wrong she was, she did not know. However, she soon found out that no matter what she did, what she was doing, he was always there in her mind. The old Kenny, not the new Jamie Kennedy in "Malibu's Most Wanted" wannabe. Not the dumbass "gangsta" and "ghetto" Kenny; The old Kenny that she used to have sleep overs with; The Kenny that she used to play Miami Vice with; The Kenny that needed a light on until he was ten, just to go to sleep. The Kenny that she had grown up with, and came to know and...ultimately, love--even fall in love with. He was there the entire day. And it was worse at lunch. She was eating outside and, for some reason or other, he came over to her. To Denise's surprise, he was alone and didn't have an entire group of people following him. He tapped her on the shoulder. "Sit down, you blonde headed moron." Denise said, immediately assuming it was Preston.  
  
"Uh...ok, but I don't gots blonde hair, babe." Dammit, can't you sound normal for once? Be the old Kenny. The one Denise knows...the one she liked. "I mean...Uh...ok, but I don't have blonde hair."  
  
Denise rolled her eyes. "What do you want you gansta-wannabe?"  
  
"Look...Denise...I know what I did last year. It was wrong. It was dumb of me to ditch you like that. I have known you--or...I had anyway, for ten years...and then...I completely left you for a group of people that I didn't even know." He paused. "Look...I can't explain it but...I-I don't know...I just...wanted to be popular for once, ya know?"  
  
"No. I don't know. And I don't care to know."  
  
"See..that's what I always liked about you. You...Denise, you were always the strong one. I...did as I was told, commanded and instructed, I hardly ever acted on my own. Even today, I still don't. Do you know why?"  
  
"No..and I don't care."  
  
"Look, Denise...I know I should have told you this last year...actually, hell, I should have told you this two and a half years ago: Denise...I..." He closed his eyes. He was gonna do this. He really was, he had to. "I-I.." Or maybe not. "Nevermind."  
  
Denise sighed annoyed, "Then go away. I don't want to talk to you and I'm sure you don't want people to see you talking to me."  
  
"No, Denise, I needs to talk to ya." God! Can't I just drop the act for once?  
  
"About what? We're in two different worlds now. What do we have in common?" Denise said, not even caring about his answer. She stood up, turned on him and started to walked away.  
  
"The fact that we used to be best friends." Kenny said simply, and the statement was even completely devoid of his moronic "gangsta" accent. It was the old Kenny--or at least his voice.  
  
It was a simple nine worded sentence, and such an uncomplicated sentence at that, but that unobtrusive string of words was all it took to make Denise stop in her tracks. She closed her eyes and opened them slowly as she turned around. She took a few small steps towards him, hesitating a second before speaking. "Fine...what do you want?"  
  
"Just...Can we try and be friends again?"  
  
"After what you did to me? No, Kenny, I don't think so."  
  
"Denise--"  
  
"No, Kenny, let me finish." She paused. "You don't know what it has been like for me for the past four months. Seeing you ever day in school...then not at all in the summer...and then all the sudden everyday again because school started up again. Every time I saw you, even just a glimpse...it reminded me of the day you ditched me...and that hurt...it still does. It hurts right now. I just wish you could know how bad it hurts. Because believe me, if I could show you...I sure as hell would, no thought about it, in a heart beat."  
  
"Denise...I can't say I know what it has been like for you...but I sure as hell know what it's been like for me. Every time I saw you...it reminded me of that day...and...the first thing that would come to my mind wasn't anything other than the tears I saw in your eyes after I said what I said and...Denise, you don't know how much that hurts me...but I'd never want you to know what it was like. It's too damn painful. I wouldn't wish this kind of pain on anyone...And...you just don't know how much I wanted to make up with you for all of this." There was a really big circle of people around the two now, watching, waiting, eavesdropping, if you will.  
  
"Then why, Kenny, why did you keep up the act. If it hurt you so much and you wanted to be friends with me again so badly...why didn't you drop the act sooner? Why now? Why so God damn late?"  
  
"I don't know, Denise. I-I just..." He was practically yelling but now his voice was a mere whisper, "I guess I didn't want to lose the popularity I had gained over the little time that I had started hanging out with them. I let it all go to my head."  
  
"So, it must not have hurt bad enough...you must not have wanted me back in your life enough to drop the popularity. In all reality, popularity was more important to you than our friendship. If you can give me one good reason that, even if you dropped the assholes you are hanging out with now...give me one good reason on why I should take your friendship again, trust you even, then I might consider thinking about it."  
  
It was now or never. They didn't know it, she didn't know it, but he had already dropped the popular crowd. It was really now or never. He had to let her know, but he wasn't sure if he could. He knew that he needed to, but what would her reaction be? That same image that had crossed his mind the day he failed his Algebra test, flashed through his mind again. He closed his eyes. God...why do you like to torture me? He asked Him silently. He opened his eyes, took a breath and managed to mutter, "Because...because I...I love you, Denise." He paused, "And...its not, never has been, just...this...friendly platonic thing, it's-it's almost always been...I-I don't know...deeper, like...like it was real...true love." The group that had formed around the pair seemed to gasp as one. Somehow, they hadn't see that one coming.  
  
Denise just stared at him. Was he telling the truth or was it a lie? Who was she kidding, gangsta or no, Denise knew when Kenneth Fisher was lying. He had this habit of darting his eyes around or kind of...bouncing on the balls of his feet if he was nervous or lying. He wasn't bouncing on the balls of his feet, and his eyes were far from darting around. His eyes were locked with hers. His eyes held complete sincerity. He wasn't lying and she knew it, but how she reacted was shocking to everyone; Those that gathered around them, Kenny, and even Denise herself. She turned on her heel and walked away.  
  
Dammit! I knew this would happen. Kenny thought. He could hear one of the guys he hung out with already saying "Ree-JECTed!" He sighed and shook his head. He knew it wasn't what she wanted, but he did it anyway; he ran after her. "Denise! Wait!"  
  
Denise didn't pay any heed to him. She simply quickened her pace.  
  
"Denise! Please! Wait!"  
  
Denise had gotten to the front steps of the school and was already running up them and going through one of the double doors that lead inside the school. She glanced behind her shoulder to see that he was still chasing her. She rolled her eyes and kept running. She had to think of a place that he wouldn't follow her. She sighed. Knowing Kenny, it wouldn't matter where she went; She could go it the girl's bathroom and he'd probably still follow her. She slowed down and eventually came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, near the chemistry lab. She decided to just wait for him and get it over with.  
  
Kenny had followed her all the way. He had just recently been thinking to himself, I wonder if she's ever gonna stop? Oh well, I'll follow her. I don't care where she goes. She could go all the way to the damn gym and into the girls locker room, I don't care. I have to talk to her. He turned a corner that he had just seen her go around and that when he saw that she had stopped. There she was, in the middle of the hallway. It was almost as if she were being illuminated by some golden light, like angels were on TV. Or maybe that was just Kenny fantasizing. He finally reached her, stopping, catching his breath. "Denise...Why...did you...run off like that? I know...that what I did hurt you...really bad...but that wasn't a lie...that was...the truth...I meant that...from my heart, Denise..." He managed between breaths. "It wasn't a lie..." He repeated and sighed. "It was the truth. That was real. It wasn't...I just...Denise, I just want to know why you--"  
  
Denise rolled her eyes. This speech was getting boring and repetitive. She took a step and closed the space between them. She wasn't sure why, maybe it was because she just really wanted him to shut up...or maybe it was just because she wanted to know how he tasted, either way, she pressed her lips on his, cutting him off in mid-sentence. The kiss was short and sweet. About six seconds after she had pressed her lips against his, she separated from him, shocked at herself.  
  
Kenny stood there, dumbfounded, awestruck, and confused. Had that really just happened? Or was that part of that not-so-raunchy fantasy of his that he seemed to have been having as he had approached her? No, it couldn't have been, that seemed too real. But then again...maybe it was. "I...uh...you...and..um...er...wh...uh..." Kenny couldn't for a single three worded sentence, nevermind a good constructed one at the moment.  
  
"Yes, it was real. Yes, I kissed you. Yes, it was short. And yes, I'd do it again."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said...I'd do it again."  
  
"So...that wasn't just...to get me ta...shut up?"  
  
"No...weeell...kind of...but mostly...it was because...I've wanted to know what it was like to kiss you for about two years now."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
She nodded, "Yeah...Why?" Denise was getting a bit worried now. He hadn't kissed back a few seconds ago, and now...he sounded...she couldn't quite place it in specifics, but it didn't sound good.  
  
"Cause...I've wanted to kiss you since...like, the summer before ninth grade."  
  
"Well...why don't you...kiss me then?" She knew that the question sounded more cliche than everything that was happening at the moment, but Denise didn't care. She had her Kenny Fisher back. He wasn't Kenny I'm-a-fucking- wannabe-gansgta-do-you-wanna-get-wit-me Fisher. He was Kennith "Kenny" Jeffery Fisher. He was her Kenny. The one that she had been friends with for so long.  
  
Kenny did just that. The now, new-founded couple kissed for about thirty- two seconds before Denise realized that the entire crowd of people that had been around them earlier when they had been practically yelling at each other had followed the pair. As if the three hundred or more something students made to sound as one again they all unified a soft "Awww...."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Well...that's not exactly what I would call the most romanic thing ever  
but...  
I guess its alright. Romance is over-rated.  
Denise  
  
It's not something I thought would actually happen. Actually...it's kind of  
creepy, don't  
you think?  
Kenny  
  
No, but it is a little weird. There were like...four hundred people there.  
Denise  
  
Forget that. About half the freakin' staff was standin' there. That's  
what really freaked me out. And they even were all  
"aww.." It was scary.  
Kenny  
  
Well, you didn't get to see the entire Sophomore or Junior year...  
Denise  
  
But...you saw the important parts. You saw what we  
told you that you would see. The good,  
Kenny  
  
The bad,  
Denise  
  
The ugly,  
Kenny  
  
The breakups,  
Denise  
  
The make ups,  
Kenny  
  
And everything in between.  
Denise & Kenny  
  
Well, I think that's all for now.  
Denise  
  
So...I guess, we'll be seeing you around...  
Or...maybe not. If you don't  
go to Hillington...  
we probably won't be seeing you.  
But..I think you get the point.  
Kenny  
  
I hope you enjoyed the little mini-feature  
that you got to see today.  
Denise  
  
Yeah, it was fun...well...sort of  
I mean, I really  
thought that you were runnin'  
off, Denny. I didn't  
know it was all part of some  
weird plan just to  
kiss me and make me shut up  
Kenny  
  
It wasn't. And it didn't work anyway,  
did it? You still yammered on,  
didn't you? For cripe's  
sake, you still yammer on about nothingness!  
Denise  
  
I don't think that matters. And plus, a little bit of  
nothingness could actually be a whole  
lot of something...ness...ok.  
So it could be a lot of something, Denise!  
Kenny  
  
I think we should leave.  
Denise  
  
Why?  
Kenny  
  
Because, we're going to scare people  
Denise  
  
Now, I have to disagree. I think that  
most people would find  
this pretty damn entertaining. I know  
I would!  
Kenny  
  
The world is not made up of a bunch  
of you's though. No everyone  
is like you. Meaning--  
Denise  
  
That not everyone would like this?  
Kenny  
  
Exactly.  
Denise  
  
Ok...so...was there a point there?  
Kenny  
Ok...let's let the nice people go home now  
Denise  
  
But...I like keeping the nice people here  
Kenny  
  
Maybe I should take Preston's advice and  
call the nice men in white  
coats to strap you up in a straight jacket  
Denise  
  
Why?  
  
That is a whole other story  
Denise  
  
But...that's not fair. Why would you want me  
in a straight jacket?  
  
Let's tell the people goodbye so they can  
go home and do...whatever  
it is that they want to do that doesn't  
involve us.  
Denise  
  
But it might involve us. They might go  
and watch our movie!  
Kenny  
  
Well, anyway, enough of our incessant rambling  
and babbling. We hope you enjoyed the  
story and that you might leave a review for the very  
strange author that wrote this. She seems  
to like those things for some reason or other. We  
have yet to figure out why really. Anyway, until next we..uh..  
meet. Goodbye!  
Kenny & Denise  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N - Well...I don't guess I have much to say. Kenny and Denise up  
there pretty much took care of my Author's Note.  
Oh, but in your review, could ya maybe tell me if you thought the whole  
"Commentary" think was cool? Thanks!  
  
Later days, ~PFB 


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